Lie to me
by Assilem-1
Summary: It's not over . . .
1. Is this thing on?

**Title: Lie to me (Sequel to "Silence")**  
><strong>Author<strong>: Melissa a.k.a. Assilem_1  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Characters are not mine . . . I'm just re-imagining them . . . :o) . . .  
><strong>Category: <strong>S/V, Goes seriously AU after first 2 eps of Season 3**  
>Rating: <strong>PG-13**  
>Spoilers: <strong>Vague allusions to events in Season 3  
><strong>Summary: <strong>It's not over . . .

**A/N:** This story is a sequel to "Silence" and takes place 1 year after "Silence" ended. Although prior reading of it isn't necessary for understanding this one, some things in this fic won't be clear without it.

_"Lie to me, convince me that I've been sick forever, and all of this will make sense when I get better." - Evanescence "Breathe No More"_

**Part 1: Is this thing on?**

"Mountaineer, turn right at the next corridor, make a sharp left and three doors down on the right should be the server room."

Sydney proceeded as directed and had just reached the aforementioned server room when Vaughn's voice came muffled through her earpiece. "What?" Vague male voice speaking in the background, too indistinct to be understood, then Vaughn again. "Are you sure?"

"Boyscout, what's happening?"

"But those weren't there a second ago" Vaughn said, voice urgent.

"Ok, um, we just received new intel. The Covenant never used that location as a base. The data we retrieved was apparently a fake. Looks like it was just a front location set up recently, so it'd look like they were stationed in Prague. Abort the mission."

"Boyscout" Sydney started quietly as the door she had just pushed open swung in the rest of the way.

**9-**

"Mountaineer, it's ok . . . I know you wanted to get this intel but we can get it another way."

The agents inside spread out as they spotted Sydney.

**8-**

"Boyscout" Sydney repeated, louder this time. There was supposed to be more time. Where had the time gone?

**7-**

"You need to get out of there now Mountaineer. We're seeing heat signatures throughout the building. Just- just go left down the hall and take the east stairwell. There's an emergency door at the bottom that I've disabled the alarm on-"

Sydney dropped the pack she was carrying and settled into a fighting stance, muscles relaxed and loose.

**6-**

"Vaughn!" Sydney said sharply, shocking him into silence with the dropping of his code name. "It's too late. They're already here" she said quieter.

She knew the odds here weren't good, but she was a fighter. And fighters fight.

**5-**

"Ok, it's ok Syd . . . I- I have a team headed your way and we'll be there in-"

The first two that came at her came fast and went down faster. Underestimating a Bristow never did go well.

**4-**

Vaughn stopped and cursed, obviously not happy with what he was about to say, "We'll be there in 4 minutes" he forced out, his voice bouncing like he was already in motion.

She wiped the blood that had obscured her vision for a moment and backed up a little.

**3-**

"Just hold them off till then, okay Syd? . . . Syd?"

**2-**

Vaughn's frantic voice echoed in her ear and in response Sydney did something unusual . . . something very un-Sydney-like when it came to Michael Vaughn . . .

**1-**

She turned off her earpiece.

Time had never been on her side. Why start now? She was facing a room full of opponents and there was only one of her. She didn't think she'd be able to hold them off for 4 minutes. But she'd try.

Either way, she needed to keep her head in the game and Vaughn was a distraction she couldn't afford right now.

"Sydney, seriously" Sark tsked, stepping between the agents. "You already know how this will go. Why not just come peacefully?" His accent peppered the words, making an unreasonable request seem perfectly rational.

"Go to hell!" she cursed as her new ring drew blood in answer.

Sark's head snapped back then he turned and spit out blood. "You first" he said and stepped back.

Things seemed to move very quickly after that. Before long, several of Sark's men were sprawled in various positions on the floor, presenting obstacles that both helped and hindered each side.

But, as Sydney well knew, it only took a moment for the tide to turn and as she pulled back from a vicious kick to one agent's midsection, there was a hard cracking sound, blinding pain and stars exploding behind her eyes as she collapsed to the ground.

Conscious, but just barely, she felt but couldn't stop the needle that slid into her neck as its contents were injected into her bloodstream.

"_I had it all planned out." _

She was only fuzzily aware, drowning in memories, as she was picked up and carried from the room, out through a fire exit and into an alley where transport waited.

"_I was gonna take you to the beach. Santa Barbara..."_

She wanted to struggle, she wanted to yell, but her mind and body seemed to have ceased communicating with each other.

"_We'd go out for a walk, maybe when the sun was setting."_

As they stepped inside the van, her blood turned cold as Sloane turned from the laptop he was focused on and smiled at her.

_"But now . . . now we're here and I, I don't want to wait for the perfect time . . . the perfect place . . ."_

"Put her there and tell Sark that I have the coordinates." He pointed to a mat on the floor even as the men set her down and stepped outside. Soon after the van began to move.

"_Sydney Bristow, will you marry me?"_

Sydney shook her head trying to clear it as the motion caused things to go out of focus for a up, she voiced a question, her voice a mere whisper, as Sloane came to stand over her. The question that had been burning inside her ever since she came back.

"_Why?"_

"Because it was time Sydney" Sloane said as he bent and almost reverently moved her hair away from her face. His voice echoed in her head as the world faded away.

"_Because it was time . . ."_

oOo

~*Lie to me*~


	2. A Breakdown in Communication

**A/N:** Ok, so here's the next part. Happy New Year! :-)

Also I promise this story is going somewhere. Just give me a minute to gather some steam ;-)

**Part 2: A Breakdown in Communication**

Vaughn pushed angrily away from the table. "So what you're saying is that we have nothing."

"I'm still working on it" Marshall answered, typing furiously. "The covenant set this up and they covered their bases. We tracked the van leaving the facility but lost them within a few blocks where they apparently changed vehicles. We found the abandoned vehicle and are running it for prints now. In the meantime, I'm tracing the routes of all the vehicles that left the area where the van was found, but they picked a location with very little camera activity and the only satellite that could have given us footage was tasked to a different area."

Marshall trailed off, still typing, intent on his work.

"So we don't know where they went but we do know they specifically set this up to get Sydney" Weiss said into the silence.

Without a word, Jack Bristow stood up from the table and left the room as all but one of its occupants watched his exit.

Vaughn, who hadn't even looked up as Jack exited, remained focused on the large screen that displayed in a freeze frame the last time he'd seen Sydney, seen his fiancé.

He clicked a button and the video began playing again. They all watched as a group of agents emerged from the building, one with Sydney slung over his shoulder, clearly drugged, with Sark following close behind.

Vaughn slammed his fist down onto the table; it's legs shaking with the impact.

Weiss laid his hand on Vaughn's shoulder. "Mike."

Vaughn ignored him.

"Mike, I have an idea."

oOo

_~*Lie to me*~_


	3. Injuries, Torture, Death

_"Lie to me. I promise, I'll believe." - Sheryl Crow "Strong Enough"_

**Part 3: Injuries, Torture, Death...**

"Ms. Bristow, you can make this easier on yourself if you just cooperate" the man she had dubbed "The Bastard" because of his temperament said as he prepared the syringe of green liquid for her next injection.

Sydney glared at him and didn't say a word. She'd been doing the same thing for what seemed like forever now. And she had the scars and burns to prove it.

She retreated into her mind when she felt the liquid enter her bloodstream . . . Back to the place where Vaughn always waited for her with open arms . . .

This time was no different and he gathered her close as she fell into him with a shaky sigh.

White-hot pain sped through her nerve endings and her breath rushed out in a hiss.

"_Shh, Syd . . . It's ok, you're ok . . . Just focus on me"_ Vaughn whispered into her hair as he pulled her in tighter.

She nodded shakily as she looked up at him. _"Am I ever going to get out of here and see you again?"_

He smoothed her hair and looked away. _"What do you want me to say?"_

She gasped as the first convulsion hit _"Lie to me . . ."_

oOo_  
><em>

_tbc. . . _


	4. None of the Usual Methods Apply

**Part 4: None of the Usual Methods Apply**

Michael Vaughn stood over a strapped down and bleeding Koreshnokov when Jack Bristow stepped up to the 2-way mirror overlooking Koreshonokov's cell. Weiss, who had been watching for a while, didn't even look his way.

"He knows something" he told Jack quietly, exhaustion and worry clear in the lines of his body. "When Mike walked in the cell, his expression just shut down. Like he knew something had happened. He hasn't said a word no matter what Mike has tried."

Vaughn moved away from Koreshnokov and glanced over at the mirror. Jack saw his own worry and fear reflected on Vaughn's face as he paced the room.

Without a word, Jack stepped out of the observation room and into the interrogation room.

_Koreshnokov actually whimpered when he saw Jack._

He shook violently, rattling but not dislodging the chair he was in. "No!" he yelled in deeply accented English. "You keep him away from me! I-I'll talk, but not if he's here!"

Vaughn ignored Koreshnokov and looked over at Jack. "We could've used you in here sooner, Jack."

Jack didn't respond but Vaughn stepped out of his way as he approached Koreshnokov, Koreshnokov yanking violently at his restraints the whole time.

Jack simply reached out and squeezed a pressure point in Koreshnokov's neck and his yelling cut off abruptly.

"You see Borov" Vaughn said grimly. "You don't get to set the rules here. You _will _tell us what you know about Sydney being taken and what you'll have to hope is not that I keep Jack Bristow away from you. But rather, that I don't leave you alone with him."

"Tell us what you know" Jack said calmly, withdrawing his hand.

Koreshnokov shuddered and then haltingly began to tell them everything he knew about the covenant and Sydney Bristow.

oOo

_~*Lie to me*~_


	5. Truth be Told

_/I pretend that the opposite's true/Rivers flow backwards/Valleys are high/Mountains are level/Truth is a lie/ - Dolly Parton "The Grass is Blue"_

**Part 5: Truth be Told**

The door to Sydney's cell creaked as it was opened and two guards pulled her unceremoniously to her feet, practically carrying her from the room before she could get her feet under her.

**Jack Bristow looked up as everyone settled into their chairs in the briefing room. **

Sydney was weak, pale, and tremors occasionally chased their way down her frame, but she'd be damned if she'd let them see how much she was suffering, so she managed to make her way mostly under her own steam into a room where Sloane waited for her.

Sloane tsked as he caught sight of her. "Sydney" he said in a tone she assumed was supposed to sound affectionate. "It's been days and you're still resisting the formula, putting unnecessary stress on your system in the process. How long do you think you can keep this up? How long do you think it'll be before your body can't take any more?"

Sydney looked back at Sloane, her expression indifferent. "Did this work the last time you kidnapped me? Because even I'm tired of your tactics."

"Sydney" Sloane said to her softly and a carefully blank expression settled over her face. "Where do you think you were those two years that you can't remember?"

"Why don't you tell me? You obviously have all the answers here."

"**Sydney Bristow died in that fire on May 5th 2005."**

"The apartment fire was real" Sloane said, his voice still soft. _A chill chased its way down her spine._"You died in that fire Sydney. We took your corpse from the morgue and arranged for another body to be cremated . . . You had a purpose to serve Sydney, and Rambaldi saw to it that you would live to serve that purpose. On Page 47 of the manual there was a formula for your regeneration. The ingredients were put together in a lab in Japan . . ."

**Jack waited for the noise in the briefing room to quiet down before continuing. **

_Lies, all lies_, she tried to tell herself . . .

"**The Covenant used a drug postulated by Rambaldi to resurrect her" Jack continued and this time the silence was deafening.**

"The formula only worked on you . . . I tried it on Emily . . ." Sloane's voice shook and Sydney twitched, still not meeting his eyes.

"**How did you obtain this information Jack? . . . How do we know any of this is even true? Is there evidence?"**

"Don't you remember Sydney?" He was still speaking so softly. She wanted to protest, wanted to yell, but her throat was closed. "The regeneration was slow . . . so slow . . . It took the better part of two years . . . We tried to make it less painful . . . Wanted to induce a coma, but the scientists weren't sure how that would interfere with the drug . . . Sydney, don't you remember?" he asked again, softly.

Sloane's words seemed to be unlocking memories she'd sealed for a reason . . .

_The room began to tilt as memories of screaming until her voice was gone began to erupt in her mind._

"You were dead, Sydney."

_Oh god_

"You were dead."

oOo

~*Lie to me*~


	6. Before I Wake

**Part 6: Before I wake**

Sydney was once again strapped down, seizures just now passing, when Sloane walked in, apparently back to try to once again convince her to cooperate even though she'd shut down after that last round with him.

She focused on a point just beyond his left ear and concentrated on getting her body back under her control. She let Sloane's voice fade into background noise and found fury quietly taking over the shock she'd been feeling since their last "discussion." Sloane's ego was apparently larger than even she had ever guessed. Just the fact that he apparently believed that she would ever willingly give him _anything_, much less information she knew would eventually be used to harm others . . .

And from that fury came calm.

Sloane had apparently asked a question and was waiting for an answer. Oh, she'd give him an answer alright . . .

Sydney's attention shifted to him although her gaze looked _through _him really, and she began to speak. "So, about a year ago I was on a mission in Chile."

Sloane looked puzzled, but didn't interrupt.

"I got shot, point blank in the chest by a Covenant agent and ended up in a coma. But you know that, right?"

Sloane looked puzzled, but she continued before he could answer.

"At some point before I woke up, I flat-lined, right there in that bed in Mount Sinai hospital . . . I don't remember that part, of course. Had it told to me after I woke up . . . I don't remember dying" she said quietly and shook her head. "Now I don't know if it was heaven and I didn't meet God, but you know what I do remember?" Flat eyes met Sloane's curious ones. "Emily was there. She showed up in this flash of light and told me I had to come back here. That I wasn't supposed to be there."

She met his eyes and Sloane looked stripped raw; like he had been gutted.

Sydney shook her head. "Now do you think she told me to come back here so that I could be tortured by you now, a year later? That she knows this is what you were going to do with the life she told me to come back to?"

The blow left stars swimming on the edges of her vision and she blinked a few times to clear it. Sloane signaled to the guards and they undid the straps and pulled her roughly from the room, but not before she saw guilt carve comfortable lines into Sloane's face. A second later his face smoothed out, expressionless. Before the door closed Sloane had already put himself back together again.

It probably wouldn't be long before anger took over. She knew intimately how much better of a companion anger was than grief.

oOo

_~*Lie to me*~_


End file.
